Cross-Canada Release of the Post-Secondary Student Stressors Index (PSSI): Protocol for a Cross-sectional, Repeated Measures Study.

Brooke Linden

doi:10.2196/27713

Abstract

BackgroundThe prevalence of mental health–related problems, including stress, psychological distress, and symptoms of mental illnesses, continues to increase among Canadian postsecondary student populations. Excessive stress in this population has been linked to a number of negative academic and health outcomes. Despite attempts to improve mental health at postsecondary institutions, a persistent gap exists in the evaluation of the specific sources of stress for students within the postsecondary setting.ObjectiveThe purpose of this paper is to report the study protocol for a cross-Canada, multisite launch of the Post-Secondary Student Stressors Index (PSSI), which will engage postsecondary institutions across the country as partners and facilitate improved measurement of the sources of student stress, in addition to contributing toward improved tailoring of upstream mental health services and support.MethodsCreated in collaboration with students, the PSSI is a validated 46-item tool assessing stressors across five domains: academics, learning environment, campus culture, interpersonal, and personal stressors. The tool is designed to be applicable to students at all years, levels, and areas of study. Data will be collected longitudinally at multiple time points over the course of each academic year.ResultsWe recruited 15 postsecondary institutions across Canada for the first year, inviting students to participate in an online survey including questions concerning sociodemographic characteristics, stress, mental health, and resiliency. Analyses, including appropriate data visualization, will be conducted to determine the impact of specific stressors on mental health, linking responses over time to allow for the observation of changes in trends.ConclusionsThe PSSI is an intuitive and evidence-informed tool that can aid postsecondary institutions in evaluating the sources of student stress on their campuses. This multisite project will make a substantial contribution to the current literature regarding postsecondary student stress and allow institutions across the country to improve the tailoring of upstream mental health services in order to directly support the unique needs of their student body. Opportunities for knowledge translation and exchange are discussed.International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)DERR1-10.2196/27713

Highlights

IntroductionThe mental health of postsecondary students has increasingly been identified as a major public health concern
Over the past decade, the mental health of postsecondary students has increasingly been identified as a major public health concern
The purpose of this paper is to report the study protocol for a cross-Canada, multisite, longitudinal release of the Post-Secondary Student Stressors Index (PSSI) that will evaluate the sources of postsecondary student stress on diverse campuses across Canada

Summary

Introduction

The mental health of postsecondary students has increasingly been identified as a major public health concern. The prevalence of mental health–related problems, including stress, psychological distress, and symptoms of mental illnesses, continues to increase among Canadian postsecondary student populations. Excessive stress in this population has been linked to a number of negative academic and health outcomes. Conclusions: The PSSI is an intuitive and evidence-informed tool that can aid postsecondary institutions in evaluating the sources of student stress on their campuses This multisite project will make a substantial contribution to the current literature regarding postsecondary student stress and allow institutions across the country to improve the tailoring of upstream mental health services in order to directly support the unique needs of their student body.

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